Beef and lamb excellence rewarded

The 2017 Beef and Lamb Excellence Award holders were revealed last night with 162 restaurants nationwide joining a group of 3,150 restaurants who have received the nation’s longest running culinary accolade since the awards were first launched.

Over the past few months, culinary trained assessors have been scouting out restaurants serving only the best beef and lamb dishes to determine the annual Beef and Lamb Excellence Award holders.

The awards, now in their 21st year, attracted over 200 entries with over 400 beef and lamb dishes being assessed on taste, presentation, degree of cooking and overall appeal, over a three-month period.

The 2017 recipients have been awarded a gold plate to mark the success of their beef and lamb dishes and ensure diners can expect an experience second to none.

Also this evening, the following five chefs were announced as 2017 Beef and Lamb Ambassador Chefs, after excelling in the assessment process:

Steve Beere from Mint Restaurant, Napier

Shaun Clouston from Logan Brown, Wellington

Alistair Forster from Mahana Estate, Nelson

Daniel Hill from Pitches Store, Ophir, Central Otago

Scott Kennedy from Nero Restaurant, Palmerston North

The five chefs presented their skills this evening at the reveal event, where they served foodwriters, media and industry heavyweights a signature beef and lamb canapé dish.

Foodwriter and Listener columnist, Lauraine Jacobs, explains the awards not only showcase the very best beef and lamb, which are iconic to many Kiwis but also the high calibre of chefs in New Zealand.

“Beef and lamb dishes are eye-catching statements on many menus around New Zealand – it’s hard to come across a menu that doesn’t incorporate these quintessential Kiwi ingredients in one way or another.

“As these awards have grown, so has the innovation that New Zealand chefs have behind their beef and lamb dishes. Our chefs are placing New Zealand on the food map as they display skills to rival the best found anywhere,” says Jacobs.

Shaun Clouston of Wellington’s Logan Brown is proud to be representing Beef and Lamb as an ambassador for the fourth time.

“Beef and lamb dishes are a staple on my menu, to showcase versatility and the beautiful flavours, I typically use two cuts for each dish, a first class cut and a secondary cut.

“Being an ambassador chef and a part of something that I am so passionate about is great motivation to keep growing as a chef and I am very much looking forward to the year ahead,” says Clouston.

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